Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-09-03
In Opposition to Division,

WHAT cHoTEAU PEOPLE SAY ON THE SUBJECT.
Fr. BENTON, M. T., August 81.-[special
to The Miner by Rocky Mountain Tele-
graph. .]-After copying the comments Of
The MINER of the Gath instant on the Cas-
cade county division scheme, the River
Press of this afternoon editorially says:
In our issue of Monday, 29th instant, we
gave extracts from the Heleua dailies of
the 26th instant. expressing substantially
the same sentiments that had also been SO
well expressed by our esteemed Butte con-
temporary two days before but which had
escaped our attention. The press of the
whole Territory have spoken as one voice
against the introduction OF any scheme or
schemes that may tend to prolong the ex-
ira session one hour beyond what ia abso-
lutely necessary to, remedy tha lafecta in
existing laws. The members Of the Legisla-
ture themselves are
UNDOUBTEDLY OPPOSED TO
taking up any new work. OF the four pa
pers published in Choteau county three OF
them stand solid with their contemporaries
throughout the Territory Oh this PROPOSE.
ton. The only paper in the Territory
which has the assurance to ask the Legisla-
ture to take up it's time in the considera-
ton of new work is the Great Falls Trib-
une, now the acknowledged organ OF an
incorporated company known as the Great
Falls Water Power and Townsite company,
which owns and controls the town OF Great
Falls and nearly all the land there and
thereabouts for several miles-up and
down the Missouri river. This company,
not content with owning townsite and an
immense expanse OF prairie lands adjacent
thereto, desires to add to it's possessions
whole county, and has the
BoLDNFss TO COME BEFORE THE LEGIsLA-
the second time with it's Cascade County
bill measure, which it is. because law
would be nothing more than an act placing
in the hands of an incorporated company
the working machinery OF an entire county.
While there might be no objection to an in
corporated company owning and con-
trolling townsite and expending thereon
all the money it pleases, there are serious
objections to giving it control OF county.
Counties send their representatives to the
Territorial Legislature and have voice in
framing and enacting laws. Thus it might
and probably would happen in the course
of events that an incorporated company
could step Into our legislative halls and
shape to it's own selfish ends the laws OF the
Territory. We protest that Montana Ter
rltory is
NOT THE FIELD FOR THAT KIND OF WORK.
It has been the pride and boast OF Mon
tanians that they have always protected
their fair Territory from the grasplng
hands of soulless corporations, and when
our LEGISLATORS are made acquainted, as
they certainly will be, before they act upon
the Cascade County bill, with the fact that
this measure is pushed for the sole and ex-
elusive benefit of an incorporated company
itself owned AMI controlled by a gigantic
railroad company which is now spreading
its lines over the Territory, there is no dan
ger of their giving the odious scheme mo-
ment's serious consideration. The men,
hers of the Fifteenth Legislative Assembly
once buried this premature offspring OF
foreign company out OF sight, and 1t re-
ouired nothing short of the Hercuiean u
stomach of a soullsss corporation to dig II
up and place it's remains before tnem 70 "
aaain offend the IL nostrils. 1t is an Insult
to the honor and intelligence OF oody o.
consciencious and upright men to ash
them to consider q measure that they
once placed such an unmistakaole seal o
condemnation upon.